New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-04-27
From Southern California.

San Diego, California, April 18th, 1887.
Having in my former communica.
tions given q general description of the
climate, soil, prices OF land and the
prospects for the future of Southern
California, I will this time give the rea-
ders of the REVIEW the benefit OF some
OF nv observations during the past few
months. About Two inches more rain
have fallen near the coast during the
past week, while back in the interior
and the mountain region it has been at
least double that amount. Early in the
season most of the old Californians pre-
dicted q dry season, the terror of Cali
fornia before the advent of railroads !;
when the state was dependent upon it
self, it meant a scarcity and high pric-
es Of all the products of the soil and
lack of water for the miner to wash his
gold. Since railroad communication
has been established with the east, the
effects of a season in which not rain
enough falls to mature the crops, falls
in the first instance and the hardest
upon the farmer. the gardner and the
fruit grower. who is not provided with.
artificial irrigation, and affects all
branches of trade more or less like in
any other county, but it WOULD not now
create a famine, every necessary to sus-
tain life can be shipped in here, but Of
course at considerable advance in cost.
The dry weather prophets have come to
grief, we have now had rain enough
and may have more yet, to fully mature
all crops and furnish abundance of pas
ture for this year, which means good
profits to the farmer and a good supply
Of farm products and fruit at a reason
able cost to the consumer. 1t will take
but a few more years for California to
make itself independent of an occasion.
al dry year. The rainfall in the noun
tains is always considerable, from 80 to
40 inches annually, it naturally flows
down the rivers into the ocean and is
not needed in wet season. The noun
tain gerges are admirably adapted for
constructing artificial lakes. This is
now being done all over the state; it
takes money to build these dams and
fumes to carry it where it is wanted
for irrigation and use in cities, but
capitalists seek paying investments and
the money is forthcoming. The San
Diego Flume Co. have in the last two
months, placed two hundred thousand
dollars more of their bonds, with which
to construct their fume proper, the
contracts for the entire work are let,
the immense dam is finished, it is 40
feet high and the basin above it covers
900 acres and will hold water enough
to supply San Diego with q population
Of ten times its present number Of in
-habitants and irrigate fifty thousand
acres OF farm land besides. Many
more such artificial lakes have been
and are being constructed. costing mil
lions of dollars. but the money invested
will bring good returns and convert the
deserts into green fields, fruit laden or
chards and make it the happy homes of
many thousands of human beings. I
can not close this article without refer
ring to the improvements in the harbor
and city Of San Diego. The Coronado
Beach company have nearly finished
their new large wharf, which has been
mainly constructed for the Atchison
Topeca & Santa Fee railroad that COM
pany is now laying their track onto it,
so that they can run their cars along.
side the ships and load and unload de
rect from one to the other ere long
coffee from Central America and Bra
I'll, and tea and silk from China and ia
pan will find its way east by this route.
The shipping in the harbor is increasing
rapidly. as San Diego is the main dis
| & - 8 3
tributing point, net only for large
portion of southern California, but also
of nothern Mexico, Arizona and New
Mexico for all that comes in BY way of
the ocean. The building Improvements
OF the city surpass the expectation OF
everybody. large three, four and i've
story brick blocks have ceased to be q
novelty. The prices of real estate are
steadily advancing and the sales run
well up into the millions. The Corona
do Beach Co. have sold on their peain-
suia. across the bay from San Diego,
since last November. lots to the amount
Of one million two hundred thousand
dollars and are spending all Of it in
Improvements. Fortunes have been
and are being made in real estate.